Life update - I'm now a University of Virginia alumna! I have such a mix of emotions from excitement to sadness and relief. Even though I'm not pursuing academia or a career related much at all to what I studied, I wouldn't be the photographer or entrepreneur that I am today without the experiences I gained from my high school and college. There's camaraderie in students' persistent complaints about being in school - I doubt there's anyone who hasn't complained at least once about schoolwork! Beneath that mask though, I'm sure we are all grateful to have access to a quality education.

To celebrate my last year at UVA, I wanted to give back to education as a part of my grad portrait specials. It all fell into place when I connected with Elisabetta via a mutual Facebook group for creative entrepreneurs (the Rising Tide Society). Supporting girls' education through Kurandza's #istandforgirls campaign fit perfectly with what I had in mind. While I have no ties to Mozambique, Elisabetta was stationed there for Peace Corps and developed very close relationships to the communities she worked with. Her passion for helping support meaningful change easily won my support.

I'm excited to share that we raised $355 toward Kurandza's #istandforgirls campaign! I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who invested in their memories with me and helped me reach my personal fundraising goal. I appreciate your kindness and support immensely. Below are some of those grads.

You can see on their blog some of the girls we helped sponsor, and you could help, too! I'd like to invite you to consider supporting #istandforgirls or another one of Kurdanza's campaigns by taking action here. To learn more about Kurandza, visit their website or connect with them via Instagram. Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions!